1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a rotary head used for recording or reproducing information on a magnetic tape, and a magnetic recording/reproducing apparatus equipped therewith.
2. Related Background Art
Magnetic recording/reproducing apparatus such as data storages, audio decks, video decks, and video cameras, which use magnetic tapes as their recording media, employ rotary heads adapted to helical scanning in order to achieve a higher recording density. Such a rotary head has conventionally utilized an inductive magnetic head employable for both recording and reading information on a magnetic head, or a magnetoresistive head (hereinafter also referred to as “MR head”) which can read out information with a sensitivity higher than that of the inductive magnetic head.
In the inductive magnetic head, the magnetic tape is transported so as to slide over the magnetic head in order to prevent foreign matters from attaching to the sliding surface between the tape and head and thereby deteriorating recording and reproducing performances. The friction upon sliding wears the magnetic head surface to some extent, whereby a surface without foreign matters is always exposed.